Maria

Kliundikova

The Lynx will play Game 4, which they need to win to keep their season alive, without Napheesa Collier after she injured her left ankle late in Friday’s Game 3 defeat. As was the case when Collier missed time during the regular season, Shepard will move into the starting lineup. In addition to Shepard’s role change, Maria Kliundikova should have more minutes available off the bench.

With its season on the line, Minnesota will play Sunday’s game without its head coach and best player. Collier injured her left ankle during the final minute of Friday’s loss to Phoenix, with head coach Cheryl Reeve being ejected in the immediate aftermath for arguing that her player was fouled. Reeve’s conduct in leaving the court and during her postgame press conference earned the coach a one-game suspension. As for Collier’s replacement, Jessica Shepard was the choice during the regular season, but Maria Kliundikova’s playing time has increased in this series.

Smith is a later scratch for the Lynx’s Saturday night game against the Valkyries. Smith, who plays an undersized center for the Lynx, has shown how much of a toll that has taken during the regular season. During multiple games this season Smith has been thrown to the ground and often winces in pain. And somehow she gets back up and continues playing. With the No.1 seed and home court advantage locked up for the Lynx, it makes sense for head coach Cheryl Reeve to give Smith some rest and preserve her before the playoffs begin. Expect Jessica Shepard to pick up the start and take Smith’s place in the Lynx’s lineup alongside Napheesa Collier in the front court. With Smith unavailable, expect more meaningful bench minutes from Maria Kliundikova.

With the playoffs approaching, Kliundikova continues to get more run for the Lynx. Could it be because head coach Cheryl Reeve is realizing that her starting center and defensive player of the year front runner Alanna Smith ought to be as fresh as possible for the team’s long playoff run? It’s quite possible. Although Kliundikova’s minutes have been inconsistent this season, her chemistry with point guard Courtney Williams didn’t show any drop off. Williams found Kliundikova multiple times rolling to the basket and then popping beyond the arc and in the short corner.

MVP frontrunner Collier returns to the Lynx startling lineup on Sunday after missing eight total games with a right ankle sprain that she sustained on August 2. Forward Jessica Shepard will return to the bench following her historic triple-double on Friday night against the Fever. While Collier has returned, expect to see significant minutes from not just Shepard but Maria Kliundikova coming off the bench so that Collier can ease her way back onto the floor.

With Napheesa Collier still out and Courtney Williams playing limited minutes on the second night of a back-to-back, the scoring load fell on McBride. She attempted the most shots on Friday night that she has all season, but also scored efficiently hitting over 50% of her shots. She scored from all three levels, hitting four three-pointers in addition to a bunch of mid-range jumpers near the free throw line and a couple of finger roll layups at the rim. Behind the 10 assists from teammate Jessica Shepard, who stole the show with her historic triple-double, McBride had the second most assists for the Lynx on Friday night. Her six assists were to four different teammates. She found Natisha Hiedeman running the floor in transition, Maria Kliundikova rolling to the basket, Alanna Smith on a kick-out three-pointer and Shepard diving to the basket on a slip.

MVP frontrunner Collier has been upgraded from previously doubtful for the Lynx’s past couple of games to questionable. She traveled with the Lynx to New York for Tuesday night’s game against the Liberty although she didn’t play. While Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve hasn’t been clear about a return to play date for Collier, these upgrades in her status prove that she’s returning sooner rather than later. Even if Collier remains out against the Atlanta Dream, expect with the Dream’s size that Maria Kliundikova will earn substantial minutes off the bench in addition to Jessica Shepard either starting or being the first player off the bench if Collier does play against the Dream.

On a night when frontcourt starters Bridget Carleton (3/1/1/0/1) and Alanna Smith (5/9/2/3/2) combined to shoot 3-of-9 from the field, Kliundikova gave the Lynx solid offensive contributions off the bench. The 11 points scored were the most in a game for the 6-foot-4 center since June 21, when she dropped a season-high 12 on the Sparks. Also stepping up for Minnesota was Jessica Shepard, who finished with six points, 10 rebounds and one assist. While Tuesday’s performance does not make Kliundikova a worthwhile target in fantasy leagues, Shepard is worth a look as long as Minnesota remains without the injured Napheesa Collier.

It’s surprising to see Shepard appear on the Lynx’s injury report going into their Friday game against the Mystics. She started in the Lynx’s last game on Tuesday against the Storm in place of sidelined Napheesa Collier. While Shepard is listed as probable, this is something to monitor especially as the Lynx’s front court depth continues to thin out. Even if Shepard is available, expect Maria Kliundikova to get much more run against the post-trade deadline Mystics sans Brittney Sykes and Aaliyah Edwards.

Collier, the prohibitive favorite to win WNBA Most Valuable Player this season, sprained her right ankle during the second half of Saturday’s blowout of the Aces. While she reportedly avoided a significant injury, the sprain will sideline her for at least two weeks. When Collier missed multiple games earlier this season with a back injury, the Lynx turned to Jessica Shepard (two starts) or Maria Kliundikova (one start) to fill the void in the starting lineup. In addition to those two, new addition DiJonai Carrington can help compensate for Collier’s absence, even in a bench role.